This invention relates to a bearing assembly and more particularly to the method of making a liquid lubricated bearing assembly having an annular inner sleeve with a plurality of circumferentially spaced resilient elastomeric bearing surfaces secured within an outer rigid non-metallic shell.
Elastomeric journal bearings are particularly suited for supporting for rotation marine propeller shafts because of their ability to withstand the harmful effects of the corrosive fluids and the abrasion resulting from bits of foreign materials which are carried in suspension in the sea water that passes between the propeller shaft and the bearing elements of the bearing assembly. The elastomeric sleeve of the bearing assembly and its bearing surfaces along with a rigid non-metallic shell can be made efficiently and it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing these bearing assemblies that is less expensive than those heretofore made. The present invention is particularly advantageous to use in the manufacture of small size bearings because the unique method facilitates their manufacture at a more cost effective process than heretofore. The method employed has the further advantage of being able to produce such assemblies utilizing normal machine shop equipment and procedure.